Blyleven, as Usual, Bedevils Angels : Twin Pitcher Gives His Old Patsies More Nightmares, 5-2

MINNEAPOLIS — The mysterious hold that Bert Blyleven maintains on the Angels was evidenced hours before he actually went out and beat them here Wednesday for the 26th time in his career, this time by a score of 5-2.

The Angels went to bed Tuesday night thinking about Blyleven. They had just produced one of their biggest offensive outbursts of 1986--racking up 13 runs on 18 hits and driving the Minnesota Twins everywhere but under the Metrodome carpet. Yet, the mood of the winners was one of dread.

Manager Gene Mauch warned: “It’s not going to be that way tomorrow . . . and (the Twins) know it.” Brian Downing fretted, saying: “Tomorrow’s a new day, and we’re looking at Blyleven. He’s one of our nemeses, and obviously, he’s going to be very tough on us.”

Ruppert Jones went so far as to take midnight batting practice. More than half an hour after Tuesday’s final out, Jones was still at home plate, accompanied by only a groundskeeper and the whir of the AstroTurf vacuum cleaner, swinging at imaginary pitches thrown by an imaginary Blyleven.

Wednesday, the Angels got the real thing. They managed five hits. They scored twice because two of those hits were home runs, by Reggie Jackson and Doug DeCinces.

Aside from that, they failed to get another runner past first base. With the help of one double play, Blyleven, who did not issue a walk, faced 31 batters--just four more than the minimum.

Blyleven, who ran his record this year to 11-10, is 26-12 with a 2.30 earned-run average against the Angels. He is 2-0 against them this year and 5-1 since 1984.

And the trend continues.

“There was not too much to it,” Mauch said. “Blyleven was good. Most of the times I’ve ever seen Blyleven, he was good. He’s made $7 million over the last seven years, so he’s got to be good.”

Blyleven fell behind, 2-0, after consecutive homers by Jackson and DeCinces in the fourth inning. Jackson’s was his 10th of the year, his first since July 11 and the 540th of his career. DeCinces’ was his second of the series and his 15th of the season.

After that, though, Blyleven retired 15 straight hitters before Rick Burleson opened the ninth with a single. Then Blyleven retired the next three Angels in order.

“After DeCinces’ at-bat, he got that look on his face that said, ‘That’s it,’ ” Minnesota Manager Ray Miller said.

When Gary Gaetti hit his 23rd home run, in the bottom of the fourth, Blyleven was back within one run at 2-1. And when the Twins got consecutive two-run doubles from Gaetti and Randy Bush against Don Sutton (10-8) in the fifth, Blyleven had all the edge he needed.

The loss, coupled with a Texas victory, cut the Angels’ lead in the West to 1 1/2 games over the Rangers.

Afterward, reporters trotted out the age-old question: What is it with Blyleven and the Angels?

Mauch bristled at it. “He’s tough,” the manager said tersely. “A lot of guys have trouble with certain pitchers. It doesn’t mean we’re gonna fold our tents.

“Sutton had his neck bowed, determined to beat the guy. He was going to make those two home runs stand up. He just lost a couple of deep counts to Gaetti.”

DeCinces had a theory, one that Blyleven concurred with from the other locker room. It has something to do with familiarity breeding contempt.

Blyleven grew up in Garden Grove and lives in Villa Park. He knows about the California Angels.

“He lives 250 yards away from me and he loves pitching against California,” DeCinces said. “When you grow up in Garden Grove and pitch against the Angels, you take the mound with a little more incentive.”

Said Blyleven: “Knowing that my wife and a lot of my friends are in California, listening to the game on the radio . . . that gives me motivation to pitch against the Angels.”

Against the rest of the league, Blyleven is just 9-10. He took a 4.51 earned-run average into Wednesday’s game and had his league lead in gopher balls increased to 36 by the homers of Jackson and DeCinces. The major league record for most homers allowed in one season, 46 by Robin Roberts in 1956, is well within Blyleven’s reach.

Such numbers shock the Angels.

“When Bert starts throwing his breaking ball the way he did today, he’s one of the best pitchers in baseball,” DeCinces said. “When he throws like that, I don’t see how he’s lost 10 games.”

Blyleven’s victory gave the Angels four losses in their last five games--all of them in domes. They were 1-2 in Seattle’s Kingdome and 1-2 in the Twins’ Metrodome, and they ended their 10-day trip at 5-5.

“We had a chance to have a damn good road trip if we bring this one home,” Mauch said. “But I guess I can’t be too unhappy, going 5-5 after being indoors for a week.

“I’ll be glad to see sunshine again.”

Angel Notes Wally Joyner tied an American League record Tuesday night with seven official plate appearances in a nine-inning game, but that last at-bat cost him his consecutive games-played streak. During at-bat No. 7, Joyner fouled a ball off the instep of his right foot--inches below the shin bruise he had suffered on a foul tip Sunday at Seattle. This one caused Joyner’s foot to swell so much that he was unable to put his right shoe on, and he had to miss Wednesday’s game. Joyner had played in the Angels’ first 106 games. “He might have been able to pinch-hit if we had the right kind of situation in the top of the ninth,” Manager Gene Mauch said. “It might have taken him awhile to get there.” Joyner had the foot examined Wednesday morning, and X-rays were negative, but he is scheduled for a re-examination by Angel doctor Lewis Yocum today in Anaheim. That will make three X-rays in five days. “That accounts for his loss of hair,” Mauch said, joking.

Reggie Jackson’s home run was his first since July 11 and only his third since May 14. It also enabled him to pass Ernie Banks for the No. 15 spot on the all-time RBI list with 1,637. Jackson had driven in just two runs since July 11. “It feels like I woke up after being in suspended animation for a month,” Jackson said. “When I hit it I said, ‘Geez, a home run. What’s that?’ I didn’t know what to do. Do the guys shake your hand or what? If somebody had told me I’d have 10 home runs in August, I’d have bet my life against it. All that working out, all that training over the winter. Hard work pays off, doesn’t it? I should’ve gained 40 pounds, had a case of beer every week and not touched a weight. I’d probably have 20 home runs by now.” . . . Mickey Hatcher gave new meaning to the term stolen base when he went from second to third in the second inning. Hatcher had just reached second when third baseman Doug DeCinces chased Steve Lombardozzi all the way back to second. No one was covering third, however, and no one had called time, so Twin third base coach Tom Kelly waved Hatcher to third. Hatcher edged off second, started to jog and then sprinted in safely without a throw. “The ball was kind of bouncing around a little bit and (Don) Sutton was backing up,” Hatcher said. “Sutton then went back to the mound and DeCinces was still a little behind me. All of a sudden, T.K. starts waving at me. I thought he wanted to shake hands or something. I was strolling over there and he said, ‘You better start running.’ When I got there, he said ‘Stand on the base.’ ” It was Hatcher’s second stolen base of the year. “People are starting to realize the speed I have,” he quipped. “I stole third and no one even knew it.”